Steyn’s the man for Meyer
27 Feb 2012
RYAN VREDE says there is no reason to believe that Heyneke Meyer will look beyond Morne Steyn as his flyhalf for the Springboks.
At his unveiling as Springboks coach in January, Heyneke Meyer spoke about giving every player a fair opportunity to state his case for selection. There would be no preconceived ideas about players, he said. Every player would have an equal opportunity of advancing their cause.
Meyer’s integrity is sound and there is no reason to doubt the authenticity of that offering. However, through conversations with him it is apparent that he has an acute sense of the weight of expectation. This sense will heighten as his first on-field assignment, a three-Test series against England in June, draws closer.
Meyer has been portrayed as the saviour of the Springboks. But he is like every coach that has preceded him, who, in the high-pressure results-driven environment, will back players he trusts and knows and who fit into his game plan.
Steyn is at the head of that queue and with his performance against the Sharks in Pretoria on Friday he exhibited why, barring injury or stupendous form from one of the other South African flyhalves, he will be the incumbent No 10 for the England series.
With just over a week to prepare his players for their first Test Meyer will not gamble by experimenting with an untested game plan or an unfamiliar pivot. The Bulls showed just how difficult it is to counter their pattern if they are accurate in execution. Central to its success is the timing, weight and placement of up-and-unders and the accuracy of tactical punts into space and touch.
At present there is no player to match Steyn in these disciplines, while he is one of the pre-eminent goal kickers on the planet. Youngsters Pat Lambie and Elton Jantjies are undoubtedly gifted, but their franchise coaches have very different rugby philosophies to Meyer and this is manifested in the manner they are asked to play.
Given more time under Meyer’s mentorship both could be engineered into the type of flyhalf he prefers. Indeed they have the potential to offer him more than Steyn can because of their natural feel for the game and broader attacking arsenal.
However, Steyn’s presence and potency is crucial but not imperative for the Springboks. For the Bulls he is the fulcrum and any prolonged absence would almost certainly render them significantly less threatening opponents. Both Louis Fouche and Lionel Cronje, the Bulls’ deputy pivots, are far more adept at running the ball than they are at kicking it.
Furthermore, any injury to Steyn would have been softened if they had a scrumhalf with a high-quality kicking game. But Francois Hougaard’s extensive repertoire does not include kicking of the standard required in the context of this argument.
Don’t be surprised if Steyn plays all of the Bulls’ matches this season. Such is his importance to them.
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115 Comments
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27 Feb 2012, 16:17 pm
@Sharks101(Sharks101)-56:
WOW, I just watched that clip, that boy can kick!!
27 Feb 2012, 17:01 pm
Kick and Chase may be fine up against a rebuilding Poms side during a home series. But using Steyn for the same old/same old against NZ and Aus? A recipe for disaster.
27 Feb 2012, 17:25 pm
My Bokke backline
15. Patricio
14. JPP
13. Taute
12. Frans Steyn
11. Gio
10. Morne
9. Hougaard
27 Feb 2012, 17:37 pm
@Markel77(Markel77)-103: I would be tempted to go with:
9-Sarel
10-Goosen
11-Hougaard
12-F.Steyn
13-JPP
14-Aplon
15-Taute
27 Feb 2012, 17:57 pm
I like your team Willie. Only disagree with JPP, not very convinced with him playing centre .
27 Feb 2012, 19:26 pm
@Markel77(Markel77)-105:
He looked very promising and imposing over the weekend, exhibiting skills we haven’t seen from him at 14.
A lazy player on the wing, he needs to be closer to the action to provide optimal value for the team he is playing for.
He has played 13 his entire school career.
And – of course a relevant question – who else do we have left in SA to fulfil the gap left by Fourie?
27 Feb 2012, 20:43 pm
9 Sarel
10Goosen
11 Hougaard
12 Frans
13 Sadie
14 JP
15Lambie/Viljoen/Aplon
27 Feb 2012, 20:51 pm
I laugh every time someone makes a comment about test players never letting us down. I am sure such people were crocs and tracksuites when they visit the mall on weekends for a bit of excitement. Romania pick players that “never let them down”. Morne Steyn is k@k because he is very limited. He seldom let’s you down, unless you are expecting a decent flyhalf that has the IQ to make judgement calls on when it’s appropriate to kick and when he should pass or even try and break himself. He may be governed by a limited gameplan, but it looks more likethe gameplan is in place because Steyn is there and has no other abilities. When Steyn plays, we are so predictable. This worked for a little while 4 years ago.
27 Feb 2012, 21:49 pm
@garth(garth)-107: Good backline.
I am curious to see who Meyer will select at 15.
Viljoen could be very close to Bok honours proper this year.
27 Feb 2012, 22:37 pm
I am not his biggest fan but MORNE IS A POINTS MACHINE. Just in the last World Cup he NAILED kicks from the touchline that WON TIGHT GAMES. You can fantasize all day about how you wish he had other aspects to his game but BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU DISCARD. If banking points like a casino slot-machine is predictable then I’ll take it !!!
28 Feb 2012, 04:06 am
@Alucard(Alucard)-95: China, I think thats the stupidest post I have ever read…in fact, I think you might be seriously deluded
And guys who are punting Sarel – guys, a little tip about #9′s – focus 1stly on the pass. If you have a loop pass like Sarel, doesn’t matter how many solo tries you score
Ne
28 Feb 2012, 08:44 am
@umfolozi(umfolozi)-110: Yip, he is a points machine. Why is he a points machine? Not merely because he can kick accurately? There are other kickers just as good. The reason he is accumulates points is that when he is playing at 10, that’s the only way the team can score any points. No tries can be scored while you have the likes of Morne and JDV crashballing and kicking away possession.
28 Feb 2012, 08:49 am
@Alucard(Alucard)-95: “Morne is our best defensive 10, aside from Butch. Last year he was knocking back locks and stood very form against the pacific islanders”
Now I have heard it all. Jamie Roberts made Morne Steyn his ****** at the world cup and you want us to believe he could smash back locks in the tackle? Please
28 Feb 2012, 09:02 am
I think playing next to Spies makes him look like a better defender than he really is. The issues here is that 10 is your decision maker. The guy controlling play. Morne does not have the common sense and balance to his skills to execute a variety of options successfully. I think he has potential, but would need to play for a team that has a more varied gameplan to show any valuable talents.
3 Mar 2012, 20:54 pm
Morne will win us games and we are one dimensional
But let Grant kick one over and you are champions
Classic
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